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 Home gardens
Ants occasionally feed on vegetable plants in home gardens. They tunnel into potatoes underground and feed on okra buds and developing pods. The worst damage usually occurs during hot, dry weather. Ants may be a nuisance to gardeners during weeding and harvesting. Ants prey on some garden pests such as caterpillars, but protect or “tend” others, such as aphids, by keeping natural enemies away.
Treatment options
1 |
Ant mounds can be shoveled out of the garden or treated with very hot water, taking care not to disturb plants or allow hot water to contact them. |
2 |
Only a few products (those containing carbaryl, pyrethrins, pyrethrins plus diatomaceous earth or rotenone) have been registered for treating ants in vegetable gardens. |
3 |
Granular products containing carbaryl (Sevin®) or carbaryl plus metaldehyde have been registered for “ants” foraging in the garden. Products containing diazinon or chlorpyrifos are registered for “soil insects” in home gardens; they can be applied before planting and may provide some temporary control of foraging fire ants. Follow all preharvest intervals indicated on the label when using a pesticide on and around food plants. |
4 |
The bait product Extinguish®, which contains methoprene, is now registered for use in “cropland.” Bait products, however, are not specifically registered for use inside home vegetable gardens, though they can be applied outside the garden’s perimeter. Foraging ants from colonies both inside and outside the garden will collect the bait and take it to their colonies. |
5 |
To keep ants from entering a garden, manage them properly in the surrounding landscape. Products registered for controlling ants in turf grass can be applied outside the perimeter of the garden as a barrier, or used to treat individual mounds near the garden. |
To learn more about garden pests, or to find a pest professional in your area, visit www.pestworld.org.
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